Improvement in friction-heaters for cars and buildings



W. WELLS.

FRICTION HEATERS FOR CARS AND BUILDINGS.

--No.187.24Z. Patented Feb. 13, 1377.

Fig.2. FlgZ IQ! @l f/ V Q 3 C (G) l a C c @J N m m A UNITE PATENTOFFICE.

WEBSTER WELLS, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 187,242, dated February13,1877; application filed January 19, 1877.

To all whom at may concern:

Be it known that I, WEBSTER WELLs, of Boston, of the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Machine forGenerating Heat for Warming the Atmosphere of Railway-Oars or Buildings;and do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the followingspecification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which-Figure l is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a top view of it. Fig. 3 is atop view of its movable frictioi'l-plate.

The said heat-generator consists in a perforated case, a rotary disk andshaft, and a stationary plate to co-operate with such disk, such beingprovided with means of pressing the plate against the disk, and ofregulating the amount of the pressure.

In the said drawings, A denotes a rotary shaft arranged in and extendedout of a box or case, J, and provided with a disk, B, of metal or othersuitable material fixed to it concentrically, andplaced within the casein manner as shown. Resting upon the'upper surface of the disk B is aplate, 0, of iron or other proper material, it being constructed with aslot, Q, and with notches O in its edges, as represented. This platedoes not revolve in the case, but remains stationary therein, while thedisk may be in revolution, the slot Q admitting of the plate being putin placein or removed from the box or case, as occasion may require. Thecontiguous surfaces of the plates B and C may be planed smooth, or theymay be somewhatrough. The case or box J is to have holes H H in its top,and also cor responding holes I I in its bottom K, the holes in thebottom being for supplying air to the box, which, after having beenheated therein by the disk and plate, will be discharged therefromthrough the holes H. Heat is to be generated in the disk B and plate 0,by revolving the disk rapidly against the said plate 0. In order to turnthe shaft A and disk B when the apparatus is used for heating arailway-ear, I connect the shaft by suitable mechanism with one or moreof the axles of the wheels of the said car, or such shaft may berevolved by any proper motive power suitably applied to it. in order toregulate the amount of friction, either to increase or diminish the heatgenerated, I apply to the case and to the plate 0 a lever, b, to bearupon a collar, D, encompassing the shaft A, and resting on the plate (3;such lever being furnished with a bent arm, a, provided with a movableweight, G, having a clamp-screw to fix it in place on the arm. The boxor caseJ may have an opening in its side provided with a door, P, suchbeing to enable the plate 0 to be put in place within the box or to beremoved therefrom,as occasion may require.

Among the advantages of the aforesaid heater, the following may beenumerated. There is little, if any, possibility of its setting the tothe car in case of a collision, or the car being overthrown. It is veryeconomical, as no fuel is required for its use. It effects a 'saving ofroom within the car, in comparison to that usually required by a stove.The air heated by it is better in a sanitary point of view than whenheated by a stove.

1 claim as my invention as follows:

1. The heater, substantially as described, composed of the rotary diskB, its shaft A, and the stationary plate 0 arranged as set forth.

2. The combination of the perforated case J, the rotary disk B, shaft A,and stationary plate 0, arranged and applied substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. The combination of the rotary disk B, and the stationary plate 0,with mechanism for varying the pressure of the said plate 0 against thedisk B, such mechanism, as described, consisting of the lever I), andthe adjustable weight G, applied to it, as set forth.

4. The combination of the perforated case J, the rotary disk B, shaft A,stationary plate 0, and the mechanism for varying the pressure of theplate 0 against the disk B,all being arranged, applied, and to operatesubstantially I as set forth.

WEBSTER WELLS. Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, J. R. Snow.

